Charles Mathis Jr., Pleads Guilty To Robbing Douglas Bank

A Cheyenne man pleaded to robbing a bank in Douglas in May in federal court in Cheyenne on Tuesday.

Charles Mathis Jr., pleaded guilty to the sole count during a hearing before U.S. District Court Judge Alan Johnson. He had pleaded not guilty on May 24.

Mathis remains in custody as he awaits his sentencing, which is set for Sept. 12. He could face up to 20 years imprisonment.

The case began at 2:30 p.m. May 2 when law enforcement agencies responded to a call about a robbery of the Points West Community Bank on East Richards Street in Douglas.

A man wearing a black-hooded zip-up jacket and black hat entered the bank and gave a note to a teller: “‘I have a Gun. Put the money the Bag now. Don’t try anything.'”

The teller put $4,300 in cash in a Crown Royal liquor bag, and the man left the bank.

Witnesses did not see a gun.

Meanwhile, and apparently coincidentally, a Cheyenne woman called Douglas police to tell them her boyfriend had borrowed her car and was to have returned it to her by Sunday. Because he had not returned it, she thought he may have stolen it.

Her car, however, had a Global Positioning System device that indicated it was in Douglas near a building with school buses nearby, according to the criminal complaint. “Points West is located immediately west of a school bus storage area and in close proximity to a public school.”

Later Monday, a Converse County Sheriff’s deputy stopped a car matching the girlfriend’s description on Interstate 25 near Douglas, and Mathis was identified as the driver.

After obtaining a warrant, law enforcement officers searched the car, found a Crown Royal bag and $4,300 in cash with wraps from Points West Community Bank.

Douglas Police arrested Mathis. The case was turned over to the U.S. Attorney's Office for prosecution.